Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse vs LaSalle-Wacker Building

Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse
LaSalle-Wacker Building

Comparing the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse and the LaSalle-Wacker Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Saint Paul, MN and Chicago, IL), both were designed by Holabird & Root and finished within within 2 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

Height
79m
Floors
22

Height & Size

Height
156m
Floors
41

The LaSalle-Wacker Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 512ft (156m) with 41 floors above ground, while the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse reaches 259ft (79m) with 22 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Style
Art Deco

Architectural Style

Style
Art Deco

Both the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse and the LaSalle-Wacker Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Holabird & Root followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Main use
Governmental

Uses

Main use
Commercial

The Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse is primarily governmental, while the LaSalle-Wacker Building is primarily commercial.

The LaSalle-Wacker Building also provides 95 parking spaces.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

Both the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse and the LaSalle-Wacker Building rely on a Frame structural system.

A frame structure uses a grid of columns and beams to carry the building's loads. This frees the walls from structural duties, allowing for flexible floor plans and larger windows.

They also employ the same type of facade, a Masonry facade.

A masonry facade gives the building a heavier, more traditional appearance. It often conceals a frame structure behind it, creating the look of solid walls without carrying the main loads.

Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse LaSalle-Wacker Building
Holabird & Root Architect Holabird & Root
1930 Construction Started 1929
1932 Year Completed 1930
Art Deco Architectural Style Art Deco
Governmental Current Use Commercial
22 Floors Above Ground 41
79 m Height (m) 156 m
31,215 m² Usable Area (m²) 39,019 m²
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
Concreete Horizontal Structure Material Concrete
No Facade Structural? No
MN State IL
Saint Paul City Chicago
15 Kellogg Boulevard West Address 221 LaSalle Street